Progress with SAFE

Save Audlem's Future Existence (SAFE) Group

Our Group of volunteers (SAFE) who are fighting Cheshire East's proposed plans to impose charges on the Audlem car park, would like to extend our sincerest thanks to each and every member of our village and surrounding areas, who stood united in the recent protest march. Your presence not only spoke volumes but also echoed the strength and unity that defines our tight-knit communities. In joining together, we have shown Cheshire East the power of collective voices striving for positive change. This shared commitment to justice and progress is a testament to the unwavering spirit that binds us as a community.
We feel it is important to keep you informed of our group plans going forward;

Our battle against the proposed Audlem Community Car Park charges is not just about coins in a meter, it's about preserving the soul of Audlem, safeguarding our shared values, and declaring that we will not allow bureaucratic decisions to inconvenience and diminish both the safety and the character of our village.

The Audlem Strategy Plan commissioned by Cheshire East is flawed and factually incorrect in several areas. It infers that our Coop has a parking area and that we have the ability to use a train! They must have a PhD in "Not Even Closeology" to come up with that assumption!

Their Strategy Plan also based several of its strategies using a comparison between Audlem Community Car Park, a village with a population of 2,100, to a car park in Congleton, a market town with a population of 30,000!

It's like weighing an elephant and comparing it to a feather!

So, our group will be waging a spirited and determined battle to ensure that the council's plans do not succeed in casting a pall over our community. With unwavering commitment, we are mobilising our collective strength to convey a powerful message. Audlem will not be swayed by the imposition of parking fees.

We have asked the entire village Groups to send us impact statements which will add fuel to any discussions.

We will approach members of the Cheshire East Decisions Committee, and are also working with other Groups in Cheshire East who are also fighting the same proposed Car Park Charges in their towns, giving us power in numbers.

Several SAFE group members will be attending the next Cheshire East Council Meeting on Dec 13th in Macclesfield, together with other representatives from these other towns, where-in we will be carrying our placards and submitting a question to the Council.

We are also getting support from our MP in parliament, Edward Timpson, together with the new Conservative MP candidate for the Chester South and Eddisbury Aphra Brandreth, and our councillor Rachel Bailey.

Finally;

Thank you all for standing up, speaking out, and making a meaningful impact.